


Ascension of Silver: Tarnished No More

by PsychoticWaffle



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Homebrew Universe)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/F, Original Character(s), Soul-Searching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:22:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28288401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoticWaffle/pseuds/PsychoticWaffle
Summary: Naivara Silverdew is a young drow elf woman with unrefined magical abilities. After a research accident leaves her blind and disowned by her family, she sets off on a journey of self reflection and to find someone who can teach her how to hone her power. She leaves behind the love of her life, Revayne Dawnmeadow, hoping to return with focus and control so that they can finally be together without the interference of Naivara's parents. What dangers lie ahead on her journey? Will she prove herself worthy of returning, or will she remain forever disconnected?
Relationships: (OC)Naivara Silverdew/(OC)Revayne Dawnmeadow
Kudos: 2





	1. Genesis

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to anyone reading this! I'm PsychoticWaffle, and I wrote this originally to be a recapturing of a D&D campaign I was in. Sadly, that game never took off, so I took my own personal liberties and created a new world for my Drow Sorceress to explore. This is my first fic, and my first time posting here, so the writing is definitely nothing great. That being said, I do hope it's enjoyable and that you'll want to continue Naivara's journey with me!

“Please, do you really need to go? Won’t you reconsider coming to live with me?”

“I wish I could, but you and I both know that things wouldn’t be any better if I do. Alynnin would do everything in her power to keep us from being happy.”

“....I know. I still wish you didn’t have to go.”

“Plus, I....I wish to gain more control over my power. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hurt you, even unintentionally.”

“You’re hurting me now by leaving...”

“I’m sorry...”

“Make it up to me when you get back. Now go, before I lose my resolve to see you off. I love you.”

“I love you too, and I will. I’ll spend the rest of my days making up for everything.”

Naivara woke under her makeshift tent with a start. It had been two months since she left Norderas and Revayne behind. The fire that once crackled and danced was now a smoldering ember pile, barely alive and providing next to no heat for warmth. Tears began to well up and stain the cloth resting across Naivara’s face. A gentle hand reached up and lifted the cloth to allow them to fall freely momentarily, revealing scarred eyelids indicative of a nasty accident. Those scars never let the memory of that horrible day fade. It was enough to force the poor drow woman to curl up into a ball to try and cope with the harsh experience. Like other nights before this, Naivara attempted to calm her mind, and focus on the sounds of the various animals of the wilds.

' _For as long as I’ve been on this journey, I’ve always wondered if I had chosen correctly. I’ve been trying to justify my choice to myself, and for a while it’s been enough. This time I don’t think I can. Maybe I’ll just return home after I gain enough control over magic so I won’t be a harm to myself or anyone else. Revayne..._ ' 

_Revayne_ , she had been insistent on at least seeing that Naivara was escorted safely out of the kingdom. Beyond that, simply traveling has been a challenge. Navigating the dirt roads had been difficult, though the longer the journey continued, that burden slowly became less troublesome. Fortunately, the people in the last village were kind enough to help the struggling Naivara along. At the time, however, she couldn’t help but be somewhat wary of the villagers’ intentions, given her vulnerable state, and the fact that she was raised to believe that non elves were simply inferior. 

‘ _I should’ve been more grateful to those people. I’m worse off than them and they bore me no animosity, though my people would’ve garnered it multiple times over. Maybe when all this is behind me, I’ll return to...Waketon was it? And give them a proper showing of my gratitude._ ’

The anxiety that once assaulted her in force had now been beaten back to a manageable level. Relaxation began to make its way across Naivara’s body, relieving tense muscles and normalizing her breathing.

‘ _I should try to get more sleep. I have a ways yet to travel tomorrow. Hopefully I’m not too far from the next town, or at least staying on the right path._ ’

Thoughts came forward once more, this time of a goal ahead. A goal of reaching the next town. One of reaching a place to learn how to hone her magical ability. Naivara used these thoughts to steel herself for the road ahead. The bag that was currently standing in for a proper pillow greeted her head once more. Sleep came once more, though it was uneasy, and caused some restlessness. Nevertheless, Naivara woke the next morning, packed her belongings as best as she could, grabbed her staff, and was westward bound.


	2. Perilous Paths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! PsychoticWaffle again. If you're reading this it must mean the first chapter caught your interest on some level, I'm glad! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter at least as much as the last one! Also, I should mention real quick, I had character thoughts in apostrophe brackets as well as the text italicized. However it seems only the brackets go through when posting. So as it stands, any text within apostrophe brackets are character thoughts, not verbalized so other characters can hear. Actual dialogue will always be in quotations.

A cool breeze greets Naivara after a night of tumultuous sleep. Cloudy skies deny the kiss of the sun from her skin, and envelopes the earth in a comforting shade. The day so far has been good for travel, with the music of the birds and the soft rustling of grass making the current leg calm and peaceful.

‘ _This is kind of a nice day. I think it might be worth it to take my time. I’m in no real rush._ ’. A small grumble exposes a hungering desire, and another thought presents itself. ‘ _I wonder how long I’ve been traveling for. Clearly long enough to work up an appetite. I don’t think I’ve stopped since I got up this morning. Now feels like a pretty good time to have a small bite to eat._ ’

Deciding to give in to temptation, and the slowly growing hunger in her belly, Naivara diverts from the worn dirt road and settles on a patch of grass to sit and relax. Using her traveling cloak as a replacement blanket, Naivara’s full body was now in full view. A slender, lithe, and yet curvy drow elven figure now sat upon the cloak. Patches of silver scales could be found on some areas of otherwise nearly flawless charcoal gray skin, and the soft facial features were accented by two small horns. Silvery white hair that would normally be flowing freely is pulled into a braided ponytail. 

Pack now resting on the cloak, the search for food and the waterskin began. Rummaging through the various assorted books, clothes, and meager camping supplies, a piece of wrapped bread and some dried berries now lay in the open alongside a small container of water. Eagerly, the bread and berries are consumed, and water imbibed. 

As the waterskin and wrappers are returned to the travel pack, realization dawns, ‘ _I didn’t realize I was so low on supplies. Not a whole lot of money left either. I’ll need to do something about that in the next town I get to. Until then, I should probably ration out what I have left so it lasts._ ’

After securing everything once again, and with a new determination to reach the next town as soon as possible, the journey continues. Upon reaching the path once again, Naivara once again dons her cloak, but leaves the hood down to enjoy the touch of the wind. Not long after resuming the trek across the countryside, the sound of footsteps and hooves are heard advancing in the opposite direction. The last thing Naivara wanted was a confrontation, and stepped off the road once more while drawing her hood up to attempt to sidestep that possibility. The footsteps and hoofbeats grew louder, and then suddenly went silent.

‘ _What’s going on? Why did it go quiet?_ ’ Her entire body grew tense with nervousness at such an anxious thought.

“Hey! You there, dark skin! What are you doing so far outside your own kingdom?” The voice was borderline hostile.

‘ _Rak’shira. I wasn’t quick enough to cover up._ ’

“Speak now, _leth’noc_! If you refuse we’ll drag you in clapped in chains!” There was a thud as whoever just spoke dropped down from something.

“W-wait! I-I mean you no harm! I’m just passing through. I want no trouble. I swear!” The lone wanderer now felt terrified, unsure if the truth of her words would reach this mysterious stranger.

“‘Mean us no harm’? Don’t make me laugh!” The voice was much closer, and sounded much angrier. “Your kind have always wanted to lord your supposed ‘superiority’ over all of us. It’s because of you _leth’nocs_ that the once great elven nation is divided as it is!”

‘ _My kind? Is he an elf as well?_ ’ The voice led Naivara to believe that the one speaking was male. She held her hands up in surrender, “I swear, it’s true! I’m only passing through this area. Please, I beg you let me go.” Naivara made to take a step back, but no sooner than her words escaped her lips there was the feeling of cold metal against her throat.

“You could be lying. I should bring you in for interrogation in Telenu’vor!” The knife that was pressed against Naivara’s neck was given a small push in order to emphasize the seriousness of this statement. “Then again…” The hood that was covering Naivara’s head was quickly and roughly removed, “It may be true. Horns? Scales? You’re a freak! What, were you some kind of failed experiment? Were you cast out because you’re a failure?”

Sneers and suppressed laughter now made other members of this traveling party known. The exact number of people were hard to make out, but to Naivara it didn’t matter much. She simply wanted to be anywhere but there. She felt like crying her heart out. Naivara fell to her knees and started to silently sob.

“Enough, Siobhan. We can’t prove she’s a spy without taking her in, and we have nothing that would cause us to suspect her as anything of the like.” This new voice caught Naivara’s ear. They sounded more even toned and open minded. 

“Are you suggesting we simply let this filth go, Grevorn?” The one known as Siobhan had now turned his focus to the new speaker. “You know our history, and yet you would show mercy? Pah!”

“Is it a mercy to leave a blind woman alone to wander the roads? I think not. The potential for death is much higher, but yes, I would show mercy.” Grevorn...why would they stick up for her?

After a moment of consideration, “Do as you wish. I’ll never understand you clerics and your incessant need to see the good in everything.” Siobhan withdrew and sheathed his dagger back on his hip.

“Thank you Siobhan. Would you kindly go on without me? I’ll be escorting this woman to the next town and then catch back up with you.” This surprised Naivara as it probably surprised Grevorn’s companion.

“You’re going to WHAT?! You know what? Fine, I don’t care. Meet us back in the capital. We’re going on ahead the rest of the way.” Footsteps could be heard drifting away from where they once were before the clicking of metal on metal replaced them briefly. “Alright, everyone move out!” The sound of hooves and footsteps started up again as they grew fainter with each passing second.

Once they were out of earshot, Grevorn knelt down to face Naivara, “I’m sorry about Siobhan. He’s a staunch defender of all high elves, to the point where I think he forgets the non-aggression treaties are still in place.”

“Why are you helping me?” Naivara sat there, skepticism and distrust keeping her on high alert.

“Please don’t mistake my offer of an escort as a completely noble gesture. The presence of a drow so far from their territory is certainly uncommon, and it piqued my curiosity. Just the same, I can’t in good faith let you wander about.” A leather gloved hand then made to take a slender one.

“So this is purely for your satisfaction? Out of the goodness of your heart?” Naivara’s hand simply laid there in Grevorn’s, unmoving.

“A bit of both. I’d like to ask you some questions along the way, but I do promise to see you to the next town.” Neither hand was moving at this point. Both were waiting for the other to make a move first.

“I don’t trust you.” Naivara began to recoil.

“You don’t have to, but if you’d rather continue alone, then by all means.” Grevorn then began to stand when Naivara’s hand closed around his.

“Fine...please, help me to the next town.” Defeated, Naivara allowed herself to be helped up.

“I can do that.” A small bit of sun began poking through the now parting clouds in the sky. Warmth shone down on the pair as if it were a sign. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Grevorn Inoval.”

“...Naivara. Just Naivara.” A quick handshake completed the greeting, and still the air remained stressed.

“Well then, Naivara. Shall we be on our way?”

With a small nod, Naivara brought up her hood and began again on the dirt road. This time accompanied by an unlikely companion.


	3. Cautious Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waffle here with the third chapter in this series! With the help of some frendos I've discovered how to italicize text on this site. I've since edited my previous chapters with it to better distinguish thoughts and other words of emphasis from everything else. I do hope that those who are reading are enjoying the work so far!

Two days have passed since Grevorn had joined Naivara to see her to the next town. Every minute so far has been tense and spent regarding this “cleric” with wariness and suspicion. Try as he might, Grevorn could never get a suitable answer, if any at all, from her. Any response Naivara did give was either vague, sarcastic, or a mix of both.

“What brings you all the way out here, so far from your home?” This was the first question Grevorn had asked, barely an hour after he began his self imposed escort.

“Walking, or did you think I sprouted wings and flew?” The cleric was taken aback at Naivara’s blunt and mocking tone. 

‘ _I knew getting any sort of answer from her would be like pulling teeth, but I thought she’d show at least a little gratitude._ ’ Of course, the more Grevorn thought about it, the less likely he’d get any answers at all. ‘ _I can’t really blame her though. She was just threatened with imprisonment and likely torture for merely being crossing paths with us._ ’

Collecting his thoughts, Grevorn wondered if this woman was looking for something, “Are you looking for something, or someone?”

Naivara scoffed “You said it yourself earlier, didn’t you? I can’t _see_.”. She knew full well that wasn’t what Grevorn meant, but did want to take the opportunity to turn it on him, even if it was in a very basic and simplistic way.

For the time being, the remaining day’s travel was silent. The duo stopped for the night just off the path in a grassy field, with Grevorn taking over for Naivara and actually setting up camp. Both ate their respective meals in silence, Naivara retiring to sleep as soon as she was finished. The next day also began with silence between the two, communicating only when necessary, such as asking if one was ready to begin travel. Outside such brief responses and inquiries, the day proceeded in the same manner and continued into the second night.

Grevorn continued tending the small campfire after Naivara had once again retired after finishing dinner ‘ _Well....I’m not making any progress on the information front. I think I may have touched a nerve with the wording of my last question._ ’. Flames danced and crackled as charred wood splintered to reveal glowing embers underneath ‘ _Tomorrow’s probably the last day we’ll travel together. The village isn’t far off now. After that I’ll return to Telenu’vor._ ’.

Any more mental musings died with what was left of the smoldering remains of light. Dousing any hot coals with a bit of water, Grevorn made sure there wouldn’t be any flare ups, and crawled onto his bedroll for the night. Morning greeted both travelers with a kiss from the sun. Grevorn was the first to awake, and sat up to get dressed. Groggily, he glanced over and noticed Naivara had yet to awaken. Not really wanting to waste any daylight, the roused cleric moved to gently prod the sleeping drow into consciousness. A closer look at Naivara’s resting space showed that the blanket was bundled up near her feet, and her hair seemed lightly matted in sweat. Her back was also to Grevorn, and she seemed to be muttering something, but the words were unintelligible.

Slowly, Grevorn reached out a hand to give Naivara a gentle shake “Hey, wake up. We sho-”, an audible smack was enough to interrupt Grevorn as he felt a stinging sensation on his right cheek. Naivara was now sitting up and fully alert.

“What happened?! What’s going on?!” There was a slight stinging in Naivara’s hand.

“It’s breakfast time,” Grevorn was now sitting across from Naivara, still rubbing the spot where her hand made contact “You’ve got quite a mean slap there.”

‘ _I slapped him? No wonder my hand is tingling._ ’ Her shoulders relaxed slightly before Naivara moved to search for her leather vest “...My apologies.”

An apology? That was the most civil thing Grevorn’s heard from Naivara this whole time. Could she possibly be in a slightly more amenable mood? Grevorn took a deep breath “If I may, you were muttering in your sleep, were you having a bad dream?”

Naivara tensed as the question reached her ears “That’s none of your business. Let’s eat and be on our way.”

The rest of the morning was more tense than normal, and maybe a little quieter. It wasn’t until the afternoon that the silence was broken, when Naivara checked her pack for something to eat for lunch. The morning events seemed to have taken up more of Naivara’s mind than originally intended, because the last of the rations were consumed and escaped her notice.

“ _Rak’shira_! How careless!” Naivara threw her pack down in frustration.

“Is something wrong? Did you forget something back at the campsite?” Grevorn had turned and now had his focus on the discarded bag on the road.

Naivara folded her arms and turned her back in a huff “No, I’m all out of food.”

Grevorn checked his pack now as well. He had enough to last him on his way back, but it would be a tight trip. Carefully, he pulled out a couple of pieces of wrapped bread and cheese “Here, this should tide you over until we make it to town.”

Naivara felt something being placed into her hands “What are you giving me? I don’t want a hand out.”

“It’s food, and I wouldn’t be able to say I fulfilled my end of this deal well if you showed up to town hungry.” Grevorn removed another pack of food before leading Naivara to a lone standing tree to relax in some shade.

“You’re a cleric, right? That’s what your friend called you. Are all of you over the top like this, or just you?” Naivara had now found a comfortable patch of grass to sit on and had unwrapped the bread and cheese she now had in her arms.

Grevorn sat back against the tree trunk and swallowed a bite he had taken “It’s more or less all of us. We believe in fulfilling our oaths and promises properly, so we’ll generally go the extra mile.”. Another bite was about to be taken when something crossed his thoughts “About my question the other day…”

Naivara looks a little perplexed. ‘ _Which one? Does he think that just because I asked him a question I’ll answer one he’s already asked?_ ’ Taking a bite and chewing for a second, Naivara wondered “What about it?”. It didn’t really matter, she wasn’t planning on answering whichever question it was this time either.

“I’m sorry.”

That was something she wasn’t expecting. Naivara’s attention now snapped to Grevorn instead of the next bite she was going to take “You’re sorry? For what?”

The piece of bread and cheese that was in Grevorn’s hands was now in his lap “I’m sorry for my tactless wording of my question a couple of days ago. I don’t know how long you’ve been...well, it doesn’t matter. I’m sure being reminded of it, even in passing, doesn’t feel very good.”

‘ _Is he serious? An apology over that? He’s not wrong, but I never expected him to apologize. If I’m being honest with myself that wasn’t really what I was feeling at the time._ ’ Naivara slowly lowered her food “I may have misjudged you, somewhat. You’re not what I expected.”

A small bit of relief came over Grevorn at those words “I’m glad I could convince you of something, at least.”

Naivara bit her lip, as if she were concentrating on something, or arguing with herself mentally. Finally, she raised her small loaf, and after another bite “This is the only real answer you’ll get, for now. But...yes. I’m looking for someone.”

A small chuckle escaped from the cleric “Thank you for sharing. I won’t pry further. But I thought you couldn’t _see_.”

Annoyance flashed across Naivara’s face “Ha ha, very funny. Using my own witty humor against me.” A few moments of silence passed, and after finishing her portion, Naivara had an idea “Grevorn, you’re heading back to Telenu’vor when we reach town, are you not?”

Grevorn had finished checking his pack when he turned to respond “Yes, that’s the idea. At that point our deal will have come to an end.”

That’s what Naivara thought he’d say “Really? I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?” Intrigue and puzzlement now enveloped Grevorn.

“Well, you said yourself. Clerics usually go above and beyond to fulfill oaths and promises,” Naivara tapped her chin in thought “Would you really be able to leave a blind woman to continue on after the next town? You told your friend you would show mercy, and that to leave a blind woman to travel alone was cruel.”.  
Grevorn could see where this was going “You want me to continue to travel with you, is that it?”

For the first time in a long time, a small smile crept across Naivara’s face “If you want. I did admit that I may have misjudged you, and that you’re right in that I may not make it very far alone. I’ll also admit, that just as I piqued your curiosity and interest, you have also piqued mine. What do you say? Will you continue to accompany me?”

An exaggeration of his own words, but not entirely wrong. The prospect of continuing this path with this woman did entice Grevorn. “Will you satisfy my curiosity and actually answer my questions?”

A fair trade that had been predicted, but Naivara wasn’t ready to reveal everything “Within reason, as long as you’ll answer any questions I may have in return.”

That was a lot more than Grevorn had hoped for “Then I do believe we have a deal.”. Grevorn made to stand and helped Naivara to her feet, making sure everything was packed “Well then, shall we continue?”

Naivara couldn’t help but smirk “Yes, let us be on our way.”


	4. Worrying Respite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, waffle with another update! I know it's been a couple of weeks, but I'm happy to say I have a new chapter up. This one has a song in the language of the Drow Elves. An english translation will be at the very end of the chapter. I'm no tolkien, but i wanted to give it a shot. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

Cool winds and shaded skies accompanied the traveling pair as Grevorn and Naivara continued making their way along the worn path. The overall mood had become noticeably more relaxed ever since the duo agreed to continue traveling together. Despite this, conversation still felt awkward and uneasy. Neither Grevorn or Naivara wanted to give away too much to start, so finding a suitable middle ground was proving a tougher challenge than intended.

Suddenly, Grevorn put a hand on Naivara’s shoulder, signaling for her to stop, “Hold on for a second Naivara. It seems we’ve arrived at the next village, Picket Run.”

“Is that what they call this place? Really? ‘Picket Run’?” It sounded more like a glorified tavern than an actual village name to Naivara. Then again, human naming traditions in general puzzled the drow sorceress.

“Strange, I know. Village names aside, however, it’s not that bad of a pl-” Rumbling beats echoed throughout the sky. Grevorn looked up just in time for a raindrop to splash his cheek, “It looks like we made it just in time. Come on, it’s starting to rain.”

The sky gave another cascading beat of their war drums, and the watery troops began their drop to the earth in earnest. Not wanting to waste any time, Naivara simply gave a quick nod and motioned to quickly make for the inn. The road had turned muddy, with puddles of water having formed in some of the more pronounced dips. The residents of the outlying houses hurried quickly back inside. A few were parents trying to convince their children to come inside if they didn’t want to catch a cold.

Eventually Naivara felt Grevorn come to a stop, “Why are we stopping this time? Did we make it to the inn?”.  
Hair soaked with rain, Grevorn put a hand on the handle of the door in front of him, “That’s right. Welcome to the Harvest Light Inn, Naivara.”.

The door swung wide to reveal a warm interior. Candles were lit at each table as well as in mounted candelabras to give off a dim source of light. A fire roared and crackled with life in the fireplace that sat at the back of the building, and the innkeeper stood behind the bar cleaning glasses and serving drinks. The two waterlogged travelers stepped over the threshold and shook off any loose water on their clothes and skin. Murmurs, laughter, and the soft clinking of mugs filled the room, while the door closed with a dull thud. 

The innkeeper, a spindly and thin young man, turned and faced the most recent arrivals, “Hello, and welcome to the Harvest Light Inn! I’ll be right with you two, but in the meantime please feel free to have a seat while you wait!”

Naivara and Grevorn gave nods of acknowledgement and, after letting Grevorn search, the two found themselves seated at the bar. Soon the goings on of the rest of the dining room faded to little more than background noise, and a relieved and relaxed sigh escaped from both of them.

“Ummm, Grevorn? I don’t know if I can pay for a room.” The thought had slowly crawled up from the back of her mind while running through the village in the rain to get to the inn. “I don’t really have any money left, and work is...well, you know…”.

This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but to hear it was still somewhat of a surprise for the cleric, “I can pay for your room while we stay here to rest and resupply.”. A quick check of the coin purse told Grevorn that it was doable, so long as no one went overboard.

Naivara had to do a quick double take, “I can’t let you do that! That...I...it’s not necessary…”.

One of Grevorn’s eyebrows arched upward, puzzled, “It’s fine. How else are you going to stay here?”.

The question was a good one. There weren’t a whole lot of options available, and the ones that were, well, didn’t have an appeal for one reason or another. One possibility did present itself in Naivara’s mind as the least embarrassing of the lot.

The words were forced out like someone was being pulled through a hole too small for them to fit in, “I could...well...back in Norderas, I...sometimes...sang…”.

Shock took over all previous expressions,”You...sing? Wow, I had no idea.” This new information was surprising to the point that Grevorn had to make sure he heard right.

Naivara nervously bit her lip, “Y-Yes, but it was normally alone, and the scant few times I was overheard I was told I had a nice voice so I just thought…” cheeks were suddenly flush with warmth.

The scattered mess of Grevorn’s thoughts had finally been recollected, “Well by all means, if you can earn some coin by singing tonight who am I to stop you?”

By this time the innkeeper had made his way over to the both of them, “My apologies for keeping you waiting, I’m Quincy. How can I help you two?”. Quincy then panned over to Grevorn, and recognition dawned on him, “Oh, hey! I remember you from a few days ago! You were traveling with other people then. Welcome back!”

Grevorn turned quickly to face the now present innkeeper in front of them, “Thank you, Quincy. We need a couple of rooms to stay in. Is there anything available?”

“Hrmm, possibly.” Quincy pushed the glasses he was wearing back up the bridge of his nose to keep them from slipping off, “Let me check the ledger.” A short trot and a quick second later, the timid yet enthusiastic keeper returns clutching a thick leather bound book to his chest. Setting it on the table in front of them, Quincy begins to leaf through the pages for a possible opening, “Hrmm, you’re in luck, we have a few rooms open at the moment. How many did you say you wanted to rent?”.

“Just two rooms. We just need a place to rest for the night and stock up on food.” Grevorn leans in and folds his hands on the counter top.

“Alright, two rooms. That’s gonna cost you a total of 4 silver pieces.” A couple of quill marks later and the innkeeper looks up at both of them, “May I have a name for these rooms please?”.

Grevorn looks over at Naivara, “You can put down Grevorn for my room, and-”.

Naivara interjected before more could be said, “Naivara for mine, but, I’m afraid I don’t have the coin to pay you.”

Quincy looked a little taken aback, “No coin? I-I’m very sorry to hear that miss, but I’m afraid I can’t just give you a room. Much as I would like to, my father would kill me.”. He hung his head as he realized that meant sending Naivara back out into the rain,and let out a low mutter, “I’m sorry…”.

It was now or never. Naivara piped up, “W-Would it be possible to earn coin to pay for my room by singing here?” she squirmed in her seat at the thought of performing in front of other people.

Quincy had never had a request like this before, but he was willing to give this woman a chance to earn her room, “I’ve never had someone ask me something like that before, but I suppose it won’t hurt to try.”.

A mix of relief and anxiety ran throughout Naivara’s body, “Thank you for this chance. Is there perhaps a washroom that I could use before I started?”.  
“We do, it’s just around the corner here.” The skinny boy pointed to where Naivara needed to go, but was confused as to why she wasn’t making her way there.

“I-I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you have to guide me there. I...can’t see” It still felt so awkward to say.

“Oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize! Of course, right this way!” A gentle hand was placed under Naivara’s arm and nudged her to follow the young man.

A moment later and Quincy returns alone, “Grevorn, was it? The cost for your room is two silver.”

Grevorn dug into his pouch and pulled out two silver for his room, and an additional two silver, “Here’s my payment, and just in case this doesn’t work...” four silver pieces are pushed across the table toward the innkeeper as Grevorn leans in, “Here’s silver to cover my friend’s room as well. If it does work out, keep that as a tip.”.

A quick glance down at the coin and back at his new patron was enough for Quincy to nod in agreement and quickly scooped up the payment, “Thank you sir! I’ll be right back with your room key, and I’ll go check on your friend as well.”.

After depositing the silver, Quincy returned with a room key with the number seven stamped on its head, and handed it to the resting cleric. He then rushed off to check on Naivara. A couple moments later and both were seen rounding the corner and heading toward the hearth.

Quincy whispers something to Naivara, and she quietly steps back while he stands in front of the dining room, “E-Excuse me, can I get everyone’s attention please?” It takes another minute or so, but eventually everyone calms down enough to listen to the young innkeeper. “Thank you, we have a special treat tonight. A guest has offered to sing us a song for the evening. Everyone please welcome Naivara!”  
Naivara stumbled over her own feet just being led up in front of everyone. It didn’t help that there was no applause, or any sound at all. Everything and everyone was completely silent.

“H-Hi, I-I’m Naivara, and I-I’d like to sing you a song.” Her heart felt like it was going to beat straight out of her chest.

“Well? You gon’ sing us a song or not? We ain’t hearin’ nuffin!” One of the more drunk patrons was clearly impatient.

“Oy! Take off yer hood so we can see ya proper!”

Fearing what might happen if she didn’t start soon, Naivara drew back the hood she’d kept up this entire time, “V-Very well…”

The candles in the room suddenly went out, and in place of their light were four floating, glowing orbs. Slowly they drifted about the room, creating what would hopefully be a relaxing atmosphere. Taking in a deep breath and clearing her throat, A melodious and harmonically beautiful voice filled the room:

Ful’ona tor, Per’nan vis  
Ik’dur vor’man uriz nis  
Wrill’vas sor, Belu’mas  
Jor’fen grel’na sol

Shu’ran hus’rev gilnec fuin  
Xevin ya’tu les’navin  
Ris’un bor’van gin’vasul  
Cin’dirn we’abur sun’ful

Ful’ona tor, Per’nan vis  
Ik’dur vor’man uriz nis  
Wrill’vas sor, Belu’mas  
Lun’rei fu’rin jin

After the last note had finally faded, the room slowly built up with applause. Cheers and whistling came from every corner of the room. The glowing orbs faded with the performance, and the candles returned to life with tiny flames dancing on their wicks.

“We dun get drow elves out here, but if there are more like you then I want more of’em!’

There were murmurs and shouts of agreement, and Naivara could only feel relief that it went well, “Thank you all for enjoying my performance. Have a good night!” a small bow later and Naivara was eager to get back to her seat, which Quincy happily obliged.

“I think your bill’s covered. That was an amazing performance! What song was that if you don’t mind me asking?” All of Quincy’s attention was now on the newly seated Naivara.

“I-It was n-nothing special...just a lullaby from back home…” It felt weird answering such a simple question. Doing so revealed nothing, but maybe it was the fact that Naivara and her people were so cut off from the rest of the world that no one really knew anything.

“Well it was certainly a beautiful piece, let me grab your room key.” Seconds later a key was placed into Naivara’s hand. “I hope you enjoy your stay here, Miss Naivara!” Quincy turned to help someone else who had just walked up to the bar, but added, “I don’t really understand why you keep your hood up, but if you ask me you should leave it down more often. You’re, well, a-actually very pretty...A-Anyways, enjoy your room!”

Grevorn turned to face Naivara after seeing her get her room key, “He’s right you know, that was an amazing performance.”.

“I think it was a bit too much excitement for me.” Naivara suddenly felt tired and a little drowsy, “Perhaps some dinner, and then some sleep. It’s been an evening”.

“I would imagine so. I agree, dinner, and then some sleep.” With that, Grevorn motioned Quincy over one last time to order meals.

The meals were well cooked. Steamed potatoes, roast duck, bread, and some mead filled their bellies that night. With a final clang of silverware on plates, the two headed up for the night, eager for some much anticipated slumber.

Song: Shroud of Stars (English Translation)

Shroud of stars, Wilds of fey  
Give us warmth and light  
In our peace, we will sleep  
The sun remains at bay

You help me with my fears  
Nightmares stay subdued  
Cosmic veil rise high  
Lunar beacon guide us

Shroud of stars, Wilds of fey  
Give us warmth and light  
In our peace, we will sleep  
And dream of dancing moon


End file.
